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---
title: 00063
created: Tue, 14 Feb 2023 07:01:53 -0700
updated: Tue, 14 Feb 2023 07:01:54 -0700
public: yes
syndicated: yes
---
### 00063 {#00063}
> "Greetings, Great One." Inky bows, back parallel to the ground while
> they stand on the branch, now a humanoid child in a black uniform and
> matching bookbag hanging under one arm. The banana boat is nowhere in
> sight. Fuko follows her errant charge and the cloaked figure from a
> nearby branch.
>
> "This lowly one wonders if they may be permitted to seek the Great
> Spirit's insight, whose wisdom endures before and beyond." Inky
> begins, staring down the blurry reflection of silver boughs overhead
> on the polished toes of their black shoes. They notice idly they do
> not see themselves in the reflection.
>
> Straightening from the bow, they look up at the figure and hold out a
> plate of taiyaki. After a moment, the child asks haltingly, "There
> may come a day when this one will be asked to choose between the
> chance to protect many and that which they desire to protect most.
> Should this one choose equally? Will the choice matter if both paths
> eventually lead to destruction? Could destruction and salvation be
> two sides of the same coin?"
You and the Dude are sitting in small upholstered chairs, across a
small half table from each other. There is a large sticky bun on a
white lacy doily on the table. Next to you is a small portal-sized
window, and outside you can see green rolling hills and small copses
of trees fly by. The other seats on the small train car are all
empty. The two of you are alone.
"I cannot give you advice," the Dude says. "But I can offer you
experience."
They raise a hand and hold a loosely closed fist out over the table.
The walls of the train become fuzzy and blurry, then translucent, and
finally transparent. They disappear and you have the sensation of
rocketing through space at dizzying speeds.
The track splits ahead you. To one side, bound to one track is that
which you desire to protect most. Bound to the other are the many.
"You can choose safely here. It's just a dream, after all." The Dude
opens their fist. The Twenty-one Fiver coin rests in their palm.
"Heads, you steer the train into the many, sparing that which you
love most. Tails, the opposite. You spare the many, and sacrifice
that which you hold dear." They hold the coin out to you.
The train barrels toward the fork. "But choose quickly, lest the
choice be made for you."
> Alex scrambles from the wreckage of his mech, or what remained from
> the gore portal he'd just experienced. The thought of what had
> occurred made him grimace, which was an unusual state of affairs for
> an octopus, that is until Alex realized he seemed to be back in his
> own body.
>
> "Sunset, or perhaps rise? It's hard to tell. Pretty though.. could be
> prettier without the creepy knife dude." Alex mutters to himself
> while he rummages through the destroyed cockpit of the mech. He makes
> quick work, detaches a side panel, pulls a couple of wires, and a
> compartment in the back opens revealing the smooth dark blue metal
> and wood grain of an ak74u sub machine gun. Amused Alex pulls the
> weapon from the compartment and notices a distinct lack of additional
> magazines, just the one large drum attached to the weapon with large
> red letters emblazoned on it [INFINITE AMMO]. "Neat."
>
> Alex pulls himself from the wreck, and jumps down behind one of the
> fallen tentacles taking a firing position behind cover, ak74u aimed
> down range at the faceless figure.
>
> "I don't know who you are, but I don't trust anyone who approaches
> with a weapon. Let's both stand down and talk this through! I'm not
> supposed to be here, and I reckon you don't want me here either. I'd
> be happy to oblige and skidaddle if you'd be so kind as to point the
> way out!" Alex pauses waiting for a reply.
The tall figure halts a short distance away. It raises a hand and
waves. In greeting? Surrender? In a fluid motion it continues to lift
the same hand and grabs a hold of its trunk, a little less than a
foot from the tip. It squeezes its fist tightly and the tip begins to
swell. It raises its other hand, and the knife, and starts to saw
into the flesh of the trunk behind its fist. The blade cuts cleanly
as though through a loaf of bread. There is no blood or gore.
When the creature lowers its hand, you can see that the center of the
trunk is a solid, bright pink fleshy material like a grapefruit, in
the center of which are two pin-prick eyes and a wide thin gash of a
mouth.
It still holds the tip of its severed trunk in its hand, a thin stalk
and a bulging cap looking for all the world like a large white button
mushroom. Peering up from the stem of the mushroom, an identical pink
face regards you stoically.
Both faces speak at the exact same time, one high pitched and one a
deep baritone. "Welcome, Dreamer, to Ousia, the Sea of Dreams. We are
Kasutva."
Big Kasutva stoops down to set the small mushroom Kasutva down on the
ground. If they're both Kasutva, that is. If that's the way their
biology and sense of self actually works. Mushroom Kasutva wobbles
side to side a little bit and waggles its stalk as it looks around.
Big Kasutva places its knife back in its satchel and takes a few
small steps closer to you.
"We did not mean to offend you," the two say, still perfectly in
sync. "As for the way out, that depends only somewhat on your
destination. Whatever the answer, we can assure you that it lies
across the sea." Large Kasutva gestures broadly toward the expanse of
ocean. Small Kasutva lacks any limbs and cannot gesture, but smiles
softly at you.
"But tell us what it is you seek. Perhaps we can be of help."
WHAT DO YOU DO

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@ -286,6 +286,7 @@
<li><a href="#00060" id="toc-00060">00060</a></li>
<li><a href="#00061" id="toc-00061">00061</a></li>
<li><a href="#00062" id="toc-00062">00062</a></li>
<li><a href="#00063" id="toc-00063">00063</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="#afterword" id="toc-afterword">Afterword</a></li>
<li><a href="#appendix-a-dramatis-personae"
@ -359,11 +360,11 @@ into the <a href="#current-story">current story arc</a>.</p>
you can <a href="https://tilde.town/~dozens/quest/rss.xml">subscribe to
the rss feed</a>.</p>
<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
<p>Total length: 80312 words / 343 minute read. (Mind you, thats the
<p>Total length: 81317 words / 347 minute read. (Mind you, thats the
length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
just the story.)</p>
<p>There have been 217 messages posted over 215 days since the first
post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.00.</p>
<p>There have been 221 messages posted over 217 days since the first
post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.01.</p>
<h2 id="chapter-1">Chapter 1</h2>
<p>This is the first installment of BASEMENT QUEST.</p>
<p>Jump to: <a href="#00001">1</a> <a href="#00002">2</a> <a
@ -6630,6 +6631,102 @@ rainbow colored light crackling along the inside illuminating very
little of the smoke-filled interior.</p>
<p>“What is it you seek from Dude 215R?”</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<h3 id="00063">00063</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>“Greetings, Great One.” Inky bows, back parallel to the ground while
they stand on the branch, now a humanoid child in a black uniform and
matching bookbag hanging under one arm. The banana boat is nowhere in
sight. Fuko follows her errant charge and the cloaked figure from a
nearby branch.</p>
<p>“This lowly one wonders if they may be permitted to seek the Great
Spirits insight, whose wisdom endures before and beyond.” Inky begins,
staring down the blurry reflection of silver boughs overhead on the
polished toes of their black shoes. They notice idly they do not see
themselves in the reflection.</p>
<p>Straightening from the bow, they look up at the figure and hold out a
plate of taiyaki. After a moment, the child asks haltingly, “There may
come a day when this one will be asked to choose between the chance to
protect many and that which they desire to protect most. Should this one
choose equally? Will the choice matter if both paths eventually lead to
destruction? Could destruction and salvation be two sides of the same
coin?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You and the Dude are sitting in small upholstered chairs, across a
small half table from each other. There is a large sticky bun on a white
lacy doily on the table. Next to you is a small portal-sized window, and
outside you can see green rolling hills and small copses of trees fly
by. The other seats on the small train car are all empty. The two of you
are alone.</p>
<p>“I cannot give you advice,” the Dude says. “But I can offer you
experience.”</p>
<p>They raise a hand and hold a loosely closed fist out over the table.
The walls of the train become fuzzy and blurry, then translucent, and
finally transparent. They disappear and you have the sensation of
rocketing through space at dizzying speeds.</p>
<p>The track splits ahead you. To one side, bound to one track is that
which you desire to protect most. Bound to the other are the many.</p>
<p>“You can choose safely here. Its just a dream, after all.” The Dude
opens their fist. The Twenty-one Fiver coin rests in their palm. “Heads,
you steer the train into the many, sparing that which you love most.
Tails, the opposite. You spare the many, and sacrifice that which you
hold dear.” They hold the coin out to you.</p>
<p>The train barrels toward the fork. “But choose quickly, lest the
choice be made for you.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Alex scrambles from the wreckage of his mech, or what remained from
the gore portal hed just experienced. The thought of what had occurred
made him grimace, which was an unusual state of affairs for an octopus,
that is until Alex realized he seemed to be back in his own body.</p>
<p>“Sunset, or perhaps rise? Its hard to tell. Pretty though.. could be
prettier without the creepy knife dude.” Alex mutters to himself while
he rummages through the destroyed cockpit of the mech. He makes quick
work, detaches a side panel, pulls a couple of wires, and a compartment
in the back opens revealing the smooth dark blue metal and wood grain of
an ak74u sub machine gun. Amused Alex pulls the weapon from the
compartment and notices a distinct lack of additional magazines, just
the one large drum attached to the weapon with large red letters
emblazoned on it [INFINITE AMMO]. “Neat.”</p>
<p>Alex pulls himself from the wreck, and jumps down behind one of the
fallen tentacles taking a firing position behind cover, ak74u aimed down
range at the faceless figure.</p>
<p>“I dont know who you are, but I dont trust anyone who approaches
with a weapon. Lets both stand down and talk this through! Im not
supposed to be here, and I reckon you dont want me here either. Id be
happy to oblige and skidaddle if youd be so kind as to point the way
out!” Alex pauses waiting for a reply.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The tall figure halts a short distance away. It raises a hand and
waves. In greeting? Surrender? In a fluid motion it continues to lift
the same hand and grabs a hold of its trunk, a little less than a foot
from the tip. It squeezes its fist tightly and the tip begins to swell.
It raises its other hand, and the knife, and starts to saw into the
flesh of the trunk behind its fist. The blade cuts cleanly as though
through a loaf of bread. There is no blood or gore.</p>
<p>When the creature lowers its hand, you can see that the center of the
trunk is a solid, bright pink fleshy material like a grapefruit, in the
center of which are two pin-prick eyes and a wide thin gash of a
mouth.</p>
<p>It still holds the tip of its severed trunk in its hand, a thin stalk
and a bulging cap looking for all the world like a large white button
mushroom. Peering up from the stem of the mushroom, an identical pink
face regards you stoically.</p>
<p>Both faces speak at the exact same time, one high pitched and one a
deep baritone. “Welcome, Dreamer, to Ousia, the Sea of Dreams. We are
Kasutva.”</p>
<p>Big Kasutva stoops down to set the small mushroom Kasutva down on the
ground. If theyre both Kasutva, that is. If thats the way their
biology and sense of self actually works. Mushroom Kasutva wobbles side
to side a little bit and waggles its stalk as it looks around. Big
Kasutva places its knife back in its satchel and takes a few small steps
closer to you.</p>
<p>“We did not mean to offend you,” the two say, still perfectly in
sync. “As for the way out, that depends only somewhat on your
destination. Whatever the answer, we can assure you that it lies across
the sea.” Large Kasutva gestures broadly toward the expanse of ocean.
Small Kasutva lacks any limbs and cannot gesture, but smiles softly at
you.</p>
<p>“But tell us what it is you seek. Perhaps we can be of help.”</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<h2 id="afterword">Afterword</h2>
<p>I dont know what Im going to put here, but I didnt want this
document to just abruptly end. So here you go: a kind farewell and a

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@ -286,6 +286,7 @@
<li><a href="#00060" id="toc-00060">00060</a></li>
<li><a href="#00061" id="toc-00061">00061</a></li>
<li><a href="#00062" id="toc-00062">00062</a></li>
<li><a href="#00063" id="toc-00063">00063</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="#spoilers" id="toc-spoilers">Spoilers</a></li>
<li><a href="#acknowledgements"
@ -362,11 +363,11 @@ into the <a href="#current-story">current story arc</a>.</p>
you can <a href="https://tilde.town/~dozens/quest/rss.xml">subscribe to
the rss feed</a>.</p>
<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
<p>Total length: 80312 words / 343 minute read. (Mind you, thats the
<p>Total length: 81317 words / 347 minute read. (Mind you, thats the
length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
just the story.)</p>
<p>There have been 217 messages posted over 215 days since the first
post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.00.</p>
<p>There have been 221 messages posted over 217 days since the first
post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.01.</p>
<h2 id="chapter-1">Chapter 1</h2>
<p>This is the first installment of BASEMENT QUEST.</p>
<p>Jump to: <a href="#00001">1</a> <a href="#00002">2</a> <a
@ -6633,6 +6634,102 @@ rainbow colored light crackling along the inside illuminating very
little of the smoke-filled interior.</p>
<p>“What is it you seek from Dude 215R?”</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<h3 id="00063">00063</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>“Greetings, Great One.” Inky bows, back parallel to the ground while
they stand on the branch, now a humanoid child in a black uniform and
matching bookbag hanging under one arm. The banana boat is nowhere in
sight. Fuko follows her errant charge and the cloaked figure from a
nearby branch.</p>
<p>“This lowly one wonders if they may be permitted to seek the Great
Spirits insight, whose wisdom endures before and beyond.” Inky begins,
staring down the blurry reflection of silver boughs overhead on the
polished toes of their black shoes. They notice idly they do not see
themselves in the reflection.</p>
<p>Straightening from the bow, they look up at the figure and hold out a
plate of taiyaki. After a moment, the child asks haltingly, “There may
come a day when this one will be asked to choose between the chance to
protect many and that which they desire to protect most. Should this one
choose equally? Will the choice matter if both paths eventually lead to
destruction? Could destruction and salvation be two sides of the same
coin?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>You and the Dude are sitting in small upholstered chairs, across a
small half table from each other. There is a large sticky bun on a white
lacy doily on the table. Next to you is a small portal-sized window, and
outside you can see green rolling hills and small copses of trees fly
by. The other seats on the small train car are all empty. The two of you
are alone.</p>
<p>“I cannot give you advice,” the Dude says. “But I can offer you
experience.”</p>
<p>They raise a hand and hold a loosely closed fist out over the table.
The walls of the train become fuzzy and blurry, then translucent, and
finally transparent. They disappear and you have the sensation of
rocketing through space at dizzying speeds.</p>
<p>The track splits ahead you. To one side, bound to one track is that
which you desire to protect most. Bound to the other are the many.</p>
<p>“You can choose safely here. Its just a dream, after all.” The Dude
opens their fist. The Twenty-one Fiver coin rests in their palm. “Heads,
you steer the train into the many, sparing that which you love most.
Tails, the opposite. You spare the many, and sacrifice that which you
hold dear.” They hold the coin out to you.</p>
<p>The train barrels toward the fork. “But choose quickly, lest the
choice be made for you.”</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Alex scrambles from the wreckage of his mech, or what remained from
the gore portal hed just experienced. The thought of what had occurred
made him grimace, which was an unusual state of affairs for an octopus,
that is until Alex realized he seemed to be back in his own body.</p>
<p>“Sunset, or perhaps rise? Its hard to tell. Pretty though.. could be
prettier without the creepy knife dude.” Alex mutters to himself while
he rummages through the destroyed cockpit of the mech. He makes quick
work, detaches a side panel, pulls a couple of wires, and a compartment
in the back opens revealing the smooth dark blue metal and wood grain of
an ak74u sub machine gun. Amused Alex pulls the weapon from the
compartment and notices a distinct lack of additional magazines, just
the one large drum attached to the weapon with large red letters
emblazoned on it [INFINITE AMMO]. “Neat.”</p>
<p>Alex pulls himself from the wreck, and jumps down behind one of the
fallen tentacles taking a firing position behind cover, ak74u aimed down
range at the faceless figure.</p>
<p>“I dont know who you are, but I dont trust anyone who approaches
with a weapon. Lets both stand down and talk this through! Im not
supposed to be here, and I reckon you dont want me here either. Id be
happy to oblige and skidaddle if youd be so kind as to point the way
out!” Alex pauses waiting for a reply.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The tall figure halts a short distance away. It raises a hand and
waves. In greeting? Surrender? In a fluid motion it continues to lift
the same hand and grabs a hold of its trunk, a little less than a foot
from the tip. It squeezes its fist tightly and the tip begins to swell.
It raises its other hand, and the knife, and starts to saw into the
flesh of the trunk behind its fist. The blade cuts cleanly as though
through a loaf of bread. There is no blood or gore.</p>
<p>When the creature lowers its hand, you can see that the center of the
trunk is a solid, bright pink fleshy material like a grapefruit, in the
center of which are two pin-prick eyes and a wide thin gash of a
mouth.</p>
<p>It still holds the tip of its severed trunk in its hand, a thin stalk
and a bulging cap looking for all the world like a large white button
mushroom. Peering up from the stem of the mushroom, an identical pink
face regards you stoically.</p>
<p>Both faces speak at the exact same time, one high pitched and one a
deep baritone. “Welcome, Dreamer, to Ousia, the Sea of Dreams. We are
Kasutva.”</p>
<p>Big Kasutva stoops down to set the small mushroom Kasutva down on the
ground. If theyre both Kasutva, that is. If thats the way their
biology and sense of self actually works. Mushroom Kasutva wobbles side
to side a little bit and waggles its stalk as it looks around. Big
Kasutva places its knife back in its satchel and takes a few small steps
closer to you.</p>
<p>“We did not mean to offend you,” the two say, still perfectly in
sync. “As for the way out, that depends only somewhat on your
destination. Whatever the answer, we can assure you that it lies across
the sea.” Large Kasutva gestures broadly toward the expanse of ocean.
Small Kasutva lacks any limbs and cannot gesture, but smiles softly at
you.</p>
<p>“But tell us what it is you seek. Perhaps we can be of help.”</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO</p>
<h2 id="spoilers">Spoilers</h2>
<details>
<summary>